MAGAZINE

ALUMINUM ART ON DISPLAY AT Gathering Grounds Coffee Shop | SEE PAGE 14

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DENISE STATZ - REST & RESETDenise is the kind of person that gets emotionally involved in everything she does. She does not distance herself from her feelings, and to her, it’s all the same thing: community.

Some of us, some of the time, must lead the way – some must change. And in changing themselves, those people change the community around them. Pushed to and pushing the outer edges, these people are compelled to move community along.

I’ve always admired Denise’s ability to spend significant time in that role. It’s a lot of pressure…

Even with my own publishing journey, starting back in 2007, Denise immediately got it. She understood the purpose, the goal. She took on a sense of ownership of the paper, supporting, critiquing, and at times criticizing. She gave her unsolicited advice – her earnest observations – from a place of sincere concern. She wanted the best for my business, and my family, and this community.

I listened.

Talking with her over the years, one thing really seems to stand out about Denise. She is listening. Not to say that she doesn’t get distracted – oh no. She has had her hands in so many projects – often multi-tasking at ninja levels – that many times she can seem distracted.

But when you have Denise’s attention, when you’re talking with her, she’s really listening. Years will pass, and she will bring up something you said in passing. Something you might have forgotten even telling her, but she still remembers. It’s a unique trait that I hope to develop in my self. It tells me something very pivotal about who Denise Statz is, and who she is not.

I like people who have passion for things outside of themselves. That’s Denise.

CONTINUES ON THE NEXT PAGE

BY JOSH FRYFOGLE

www.MAKEASCENEAK.com Community

EMMA TAKES DENALI ON THE ROAD | PAGE 6

MAT-SU SKI CLUB ICICLE DOUBLE | PAGE 26

THE MAT-SU POLAR PLUNGE | PAGE 11

DENISE STATZ - REST & RESET CONTINUEDSitting down with Denise recently at Vagabond Blues in Palmer, we had a nice long talk. True to form, Denise was more interested in my life than in telling her own story. This is the Denise I have come to expect.

Besides her sincere interest in my life, we talked about hers, too. She’s heartbroken about the coming change, but also excited.

A vortex of emotions was evident. Resolve to make this huge life change, and to do it well. Still, to leave behind her role as business owner weighs heavily. She cried several times.Denise Statz has used her downtown Palmer business, NonEssentials, as an anchor to her community involvement. Now, with that business set to change hands, Denise is planning to move on. But I hope this freedom will allow her to follow her heart for this community with less distraction.

Our conversation drifted seamlessly from my life to hers, finding the relative closeness that all people share through relationships. We all have so much in common. We’re all so different. That’s community.

I told her I wanted to take some photos of her. She asked where we should go. I suggested NonEssentials – she hesitated. She was reluctant, but she agreed.

Bill Pendleton was there, and immediately Denise went into her pattern of stocking shelves. In between photos, she worked. After this long, it must be incredibly difficult to let go. Bill seemed to understand, and accommodated.

I would urge Denise, as a friend, to take her

time to rest and reset. Take the ax from the grindstone. Sometimes we work ourselves so hard, giving so much of ourselves, that we lose ourselves.

(Denise, I hope you will take some time to find the new you, and I suspect that it will be everything you were before, with less of what you never were anyway.)

Denise has never been just a business owner. She has been, and I hope will continue to be an organizer, creating forward momentum in our community.

NonEssentials will go on, and it will change a bit, but it will always reflect Denise’s spirit. But much more importantly, this community of Palmer will always be affected by her influence and passion. That should not stop.

Without the weight of a business that requires so much time, she will be free to focus on the community projects that have obviously held her heart.

As Denise’s friend, I hope she takes some well-deserved family time after the business is officially handed over.

Then, and only then, after she has rested and reset, I hope she will continue her work.

Her real work.

Not her NonEssential work, but the very Essential work she’s been doing all along.

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It was easy to fall under the subtle charm and seductive lure of Denali, the enchanting new release from Emma Hill. Its great northwest sensibilities, its tales of people real and imagined, and its independent spirit felt like a piece of history I wish I had lived. I wanted to climb the peaks, pan for gold, do battle with the environment and carve out my own space in the wild. The Alaska of Emma Hill’s upbringing has its own truth, and Emma takes us across the landscape in search of it. Seeing her perform these songs live was to have her as your personal guide. Emma, live, is a revelation.

It was to be a night of firsts for me: the first time seeing Emma, and the first time experiencing the intimate setting of the house concert scene. It has been many years since I sat in a living room where the guitar, amongst other things, was being passed around. I remember fondly the bond of song; the way sharing music lifted the room, and our spirits. On Will the Circle Be Unbroken, vol.2, Emmylou Harris spoke about the recording sessions, noting that often in the process of producing records the idea of making music organically was obscured. “We

lost the living room,” she said. Emma Hill never left it.

Hill is a professional musician, an artist who makes her livelihood specifically touring the house concert network that is growing across the country. About a week before the show I read an excellent article on NoDepression.com about the burgeoning house concert circuit that convinced me I want to get involved. Going to Emma Hill’s DC gig only strengthened that desire. The show took place in a gorgeous condo on 15th street NW, in the nation’s capitol. Finding it was a bit tricky, but what awaited me was more than worth the effort.

A young man opened the door and confirmed that I was at the right place. I walked into the living room and ran right into Emma, who rose from the sofa and extended her hand to greet me. “I’m so glad you could make it,” she said. To my right sat her accompanist, Bryan Daste, a man of many talents, and Emma’s musical co-conspirator. I was able to speak with both of them for a few minutes, and found them warm, engaging, and remarkably down to earth. Within moments I was introduced to a

half dozen friendly souls, including the hosts of the concert. Over the next half hour several more people trickled in from the cold, found their way to a glass of wine and a cushy seat. Then the show began. Emma invited the audience to get comfortable, and retrieved her acoustic guitar from the corner. Bryan Daste took his seat at the pedal steel, reached over to pick up his banjo, and the duo launched into “Bright Eyes,” the opening track on Denali. Several things were immediately obvious. The first was the stunning clarity and purity of Emma’s voice. The second thing was the sheer strength she projected. Her relaxed body language contrasted the commanding manner in which her vocals filled the room, without the aid of a mic or PA system. Hill approached the songs honestly, without the bag of vocal tricks, of artifice, that the American Idol generation has come to lean on so heavily. Her voice seemed to draw it’s nuance and bravado from the narrative in each song, illustrating the power of words and the courage and fragility of the characters that populate the Alaskan frontier Hill knows so well.

The next set of discoveries involved Bryan Daste. His arrangements on Denali are incredibly intuitive, and the choices he makes underscore his knack for knowing exactly what is needed to best showcase each song. Daste has a light touch, avoiding the temptation to clutter, allowing the tunes to breathe. But his skills don’t stop there; Bryan Daste is an excellent harmony singer. Add to that his selfless work ethic; he does everything to support the artist and nothing to draw undue attention to himself.

He faithfully serves the singer and the song, in the process becoming invaluable to both. The list of instruments he employs is lengthy, and the manner in which he wields them is tasteful and understated. His presence, indispensible, adds depth to the live performance of Hill's material.

Emma Hill leads the audience through a twelve song set that includes eight numbers from the new record. Interspersed with introductions providing some insightful backstory, the listener feels as though they have been the recipient of a confidence, that Hill

EMMA HILL TAKES DENALI ON THE ROAD

By Joe McSpadden, Fredericksburg, Virginiawww.theflamestillburns.com

CONTINUES ON NEXT PAGE

has shared some part of her soul that needs protection, and the audience is naturally drawn to her, pledging silently to honor the impartation of secret knowledge with personal loyalty. Riding shotgun, on banjo and pedal steel, is Daste, who is as much a part of the success of the evening as he is the loyal friend and evangelist for Hill’s talent and quirky vision.

After opening with “Bright Eyes,” the pair segued into the title track of her 2013 album, “Black and Wretched Blue,” with Daste’s pedal steel caressing the sorrow and regret from the troubled heartbreak lament. This was followed by “Hard Love,” and then “Lioness.” Hill reveals that “Lioness” was written four years ago, as a result of a writing prompt to create a superhero. As mundane as that idea might sound, what emerged from the exercise was a gorgeous portrait of a conflicted woman, not unlike the central character of Luc Besson’s La Femme Nikita. As if that was not enough, Daste added a sweeping accompaniment on his iPhone.

Family history provides the spark for “49er,” a story song Hill penned as an ode to both her father and grandfather, and their attempts at striking gold. The second track from Black and Wretched Blue, the solemn “A Pilot’s Goodbye,” brings home the dangers of the Alaskan frontier, where residents of tiny remote villages depend on daring flyboys to bring them the provisions they need to survive. Hill, known as the Sleetmute Sweetheart, hails from one of those tundra towns, population one hundred. The song celebrates the life of one

particular pilot, Hill’s uncle, who died in a crash.

The final selection, “Alaska dear, I’m Coming Home,” is sung a capella, and is a paean to the simple pastoral pleasures of Alaskan life. Hill lets slip that she wrote it in the back of her father’s Cessna, and that seems just about perfect.

After the show Hill and Daste mingle, and sell merch, taking time to speak with audience members. They are spectacularly ordinary, in the good sense. No pretentious airs, no aloof rock star personas. Just working musicians laboring damn hard to support their art. This particular night was show number thirty-one, out of fifty-two concerts to be performed in fifty-eight days.

In all, Hill and Daste will drive over 6,500 miles, bringing their unique American vision to living rooms across the country. “My Costco membership gives me a real deal on a rental car,” Emma says. We talk about the current state of music and where they are headed next. When I ask a question about playing pedal steel, Bryan walks over, sits down, and turns it on. He proceeds to show me how it works, how he shapes chords, how he bends the notes. He takes his time. The thought occurs to me that Emma Hill and Bryan Daste could be anyone’s children, that they are good musicians, and, most of all, good people.

> Originally Published on www.TheFlameStillBurns.com

Music www.MAKEASCENEAK.com

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23RD CHRISTMAS FRIENDSHIP DINNER A MAT-SU VALLEY TRADITION

December 25th, 2014 11AM - 3PM @ Curits Menard Sport Center, Wasilla

Provides a "FREE" Dinner plus entertainment for anyone who wants to join us.

CFD@mtaonline.netPhone: 907-354-6115

Facebook: 2014 Christmas Friendship Dinnerwww.ChristmasFriendshipDinner.org

Random Community Events

IDITAPROV UNWRAPPED: XMAS UNSCRIPTEDSheldon Community Arts Hangar

Downtown TalkeetnaDecember 25th, 26th, & 27th at 7:30pm

12/25 & 26 are family friendly shows, 12/27 IS ADULTS ONLY!$10/$12  907-733-7929 

events@denaliartscouncil.org

2014 GREATER WASILLA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

BP FAMILY NEW YEARS EVE FIREWORKSWednesday, December 31, 2014 at 8:00 pm

FREE 907-376-1299 www.wasillaevents.com

OPEN SKATINGBIG LAKE LIONS

RECREATION CENTERBig Lake, AK Saturdays, 7-9PM

Sundays, 2-4PMFREE 907-892-6502

biglakereccenter.com or on Facebook Big Lake Lions

Recreation Center

THE MAT-SU MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. FOUNDATION 2015 ANNUAL CELEBRATION

A Time to Honor, Remember, and Move Together to Engage the Dream

Mon, Jan 19, 2015 -1pm-4pmPalmer Senior Center

1132 South Chugach StreetFREE - 907-232-5201

OTHERWISE KNOWN AS SHEILA THE GREAT Sat, December 13 - 2:00pm

Discovery Theatre621 W 6th Ave, Anchorage

$14-$27263-ARTS or www.akjt.org

Alaska Junior Theater907-272-7546 - www.akjt.org

CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICEWed, December 24 - 6pm-7pmFirst Baptist Church of Palmer

1150 E. Helen Drive, PalmerFREE - 907-745-4483www.fbcpalmer.com

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NON-DENOMINATIONAL BIBLE STUDYWasilla Area Senior Center1301 S. Century CircleWasilla, Alaska 99654Every Wednesday from 10 to 11 am in WASI Meeting RoomFREE - Wasilla Area Senior Center

BINGO AND PULL TABSWasilla Senior Center1301 S Century CircleEvery Wednesday From 1:00 pm - 3:00 pmBINGO Card sales begin at 12:45 pmFREE to the publicWasilla Area Senior Center

LIVING WELL ALASKA, MAKING BETTER CHOICES WHILE LIVING WITH CHRONIC ILLNESSWasilla Area Senior Center1301 S. Century CircleWasilla, Alaska 99654 Every Tuesday from November 4 thru December 16 at 1pmFREE

ANDY MULLEN HOSTS OPEN MICThursday nights in October6-9pm, Mad Hatcher Pizza Restaurant9351 N. Palmer Fishhook Rd.FREE920-915-5694

MAT-SU TOASTMASTERS889 N. Elkhorn Drive Wasilla, AK 99654Located upstairs in the PubEvery Tuesday from 7:30am to 8:30amMat-Su Toastmasters 907.841.9818 or 907.355.3039

FREE HEARING SCREENING PROVIDED BY MAT-SU SERTOMA CLUBFirst Sat Every Month10am-1pmWasilla Physical TherapyDeana Moore 761-5229 FREE HEARING SCREENING PROVIDED BY MAT-SU SERTOMA CLUBFirst Sat Every Month10am-1pmWasilla Physical TherapyDeana Moore 761-5229

Random Community EventsHOT DISH LIVE

January 24th, 7-10pmMad Hatcher Pizza Restaurant9351 N. Palmer Fishhook Rd.

$5 at door907-746-2480

BOREALIS DANCERSTue, November 11 - Thur, July 24

6pm-7pm @ Georgie's Dance StudioFinger Lake, Wasilla

$20 Per monthGeorgie

907-355-6505

DOG 101Jan 8-Feb 12; 4-5 p.m.

$30 for current 4-H members$40 non-members

UAF Matanuska Experiment Farm 1509 S. Georgeson Road, Palmer

745-3360

FRIDAY AT THE FARM: WINTER CRITTERS

Jan 9, 6:30-8 pm. $10/$25 family. UAF Matanuska Experiment Farm 1509 S. Georgeson Road, Palmer

745-3360

4-H CRAFT SMACK DOWNJan 31, 10 am-2 pm

UAF Matanuska Experiment Farm Join us for our 2nd annual

4-H Craft Smack down! Teams of 2-4 youth create and

present craft entries using materials provided. Bring a bag lunch or snacks. Prizes and fun for all!

Sign up deadline 1/28/15. Call the CES office to register!

1509 S. Georgeson Road, Palmer 745-3360

JURIED ART SHOWThe Town Square Gallery, in

the Carrs Mall, in Wasilla, which is entering it’s 31st year in

business, has been and still is the starting ground for many of

the valley’s finest artists.

The Valley Fine Arts Association (VFAA) chose gallery owner, Janet St. George to jury the

mixed media art show which opens with a reception on the

Second Saturday Art Walk, January 10, from 1-4 p.m.

At the Town Square Gallery, located at 591 E Parks Hwy,

Suite #406 in Wasilla. The public are welcome to come and meet the artists, enjoy the exhibit and

have refreshments.

LET’S MURDER MARSHAJanuary 9th – 25th, 2014

General/Comedy Directed by Patricia Blossom

Valley Performing Arts, Wasilla

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INTERESTED IN THEATRE?CALL VALLEY PERFORMING ARTS @ 373-0195

Theatre

January 9th – 25th, 2014General/Comedy Directed by Patricia Blossom Valley Performing Arts, Wasilla

A happy housewife named Marsha, addicted to reading murder mysteries, overhears her loving husband discussing her upcoming birthday surprise with an interior decorator. To her, though, it sounds like they are planning to murder her!

With the assistance of her next door neighbor she tries to turn the tables on them with a poisoned potion. When her own mother shows up for her birthday a day early, Marsha thinks she is in on the diabolical scheme. When her maid's date, a policeman, shows up to take the maid out, Marsha thinks he is onto her poisoning attempt. Finally, just when you would think all this would be cleared up, Marsha's intended victims discover what she has supposed, and decide to teach her a lesson by actually pretending to be murderers.

***SPECIAL NOTE*** We have two (2) Thursday Night performances, January 15th and January 22nd, 7PM show time, available for this production.

LET’S MURDER MARSHA, opens January 9th and runs through January 25th. Ticket prices are $17 for Students/Seniors and $19 for Adults. This is a terrific show for audiences who like their comedy broad and fast and nonstop at Valley Performing Arts, 251 W. Swanson Avenue, Wasilla.

> Call VPA at 373-0195, visit our website valleyperformingarts.org, or come by the office, Monday through Friday 9am to 3pm to purchase your tickets.

LET’S MURDER MARSHA @ VPA

December 19th – 28thDirected by Michael HaneyDiscovery Theatre, Anchorage Alaska Center for Performing Arts

Perseverance Theatre (PT) presents the holiday classic adapted from Charles Dickens’ Original by Arlitia Jones and Michael Evan Haney.

A holiday favorite, A Christmas Carol, performs for two weeks December 19-28, with one Pay-As-You-Can preview on December 18, in the Discovery Theatre at the Alaska Center for the Performing Arts. Share Scrooge’s miraculous transformation with the whole family and experience the remembrance of the true meaning of Christmas. Tickets for A Christmas Carol are $20.25 - $49.25 and are available online at PTALASKA.ORG or by calling 907-263-ARTS.

Perseverance commissioned a new adaptation of Dicken’s classic tale, using the book as the main inspiration for the performance. It was adapted by Anchorage playwright Arlitia Jones (Come to Me, Leopards, Rush at Everlasting) and Michael Evan Haney (Associate Artist at Cincinnati

Playhouse in The Park). A Christmas Carol concerns one Ebenezer Scrooge. He is a greedy and stingy businessman, with no place in his life for kindness, compassion, charity or benevolence. When Scrooge is visited by four ghosts, including his former business partner, Jacob Marley, he is warned to change his ways or face a miserable afterlife.

Directed by Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park’s Artistic Associate Michael Haney, whose love of the story has lead him to directing A Christmas Carol in Cincinnati for over twenty years! poet and author of The Bandsaw Riots.

Tickets to A Christmas Carol are now on sale and range from $20.25 to $49.25. Discounted tickets for groups of ten or more may be purchased by calling 907-263-ARTS. For ticket reservations, call the Centertix Box Office at 907-263-ARTS, go online at centertix.net or visit the Centertix Box Office in the Alaska Center for the Performing Arts.

> Visit www.ptalaska.org for additional ticket information.

PERSEVERANCE THEATRE PRESENTS DICKENS’ A CHRISTMAS CAROLTHE HOLIDAY CLASSIC PERFECT FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY.

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Community

> Online Registration Now Open

Wow! A year has already gone by, and, yes, it’s that time when snow begins to fall, the mountains turn white, the holidays are just around the corner, and, the lakes begin to freeze.

The Mat Su Sertoma Club looks forward to hosting the 11thAnnual Mat Su Polar Plunge this year at the Northern Lights Ale House (old Wasilla Resort), 1850 E. Bogard Road, Wasilla, Alaska, on Saturday, February 21, 2015.

We are grateful for your participation last year and hope you’ll once again sign up to be “Freezin’ for a Reason!” Your contribution helped the local Sertoma Club to raise almost $20,000. In giving back to our community. The 2014 Grants winners of $5,000 each were the Food4Kids Program and Alaska Wildbird Rehabilitation Center.

Check out our new look and register at www.matsuplunge.org. Then you can begin to share this event with your family and friends. It’s individual volunteerism such as yours which changes the world. Thank you in advance for your participation, whether you are Plunging or Pledging, it’s great to be a part of this community!

The Mat-Su Sertoma Club is a committed group of community minded individuals who find giving is always better than receiving. We have a focus on hearing health and volunteerism.

> Check out our website www.matsuhearing.org

You are always welcome to join us at one of our meetings held the 2nd and 4th Thursday, 5:30 p.m. at Tailgaters in the back of the restaurant.

Sincerely,Sondra Kaplan, PresidentMat Su Sertoma Club

MAT-SU POLAR PLUNGE 2015THE ORIGINAL VALLEY DIP!

MAT-SU PLUNGEwww.MATSUHEARING.ORGwww.matsuplunge.ORG

PERSEVERANCE THEATRE PRESENTS DICKENS’ A CHRISTMAS CAROLTHE HOLIDAY CLASSIC PERFECT FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY.

www.MAKEASCENEAK.com

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With the ski season finally upon us it is time to start setting goals. The Mat-Su Ski Club is offering the perfect motivation to get you through the holidays on your skis.

The Mat-Su Icicle Double is a two day series with classic style on Saturday December 27th and Freestyle on Sunday the 28th. In Freestyle ski you can classic or skate, in the Classic ski you can only classic ski. There are several distances that you can elect to ski: 5 km, 10 km, 15 km, and 30 km. You can change the distance you would like to ski up to 10:30 am on the day of the ski.

We want to encourage families to take part. Families and individuals

are charged the same fee, so sign up your whole family for the same cost.

If you sign up for the two day series (Classic on Saturday, Freestyle on Sunday), you will receive a $7.50 discount for each day. Participants who finish the 30 km on both days will receive the coveted Icicle Double Beverage Glass.

Mark your calendars and jump on the website to sign up today.

> The first 75 to sign up will receive a free Mat-Su Icicle Double Hat.

> Visit matsuski.org/competition to for details and to sign up.

Contributed by Hans Hill

THE MAT-SU SKI CLUBICICLE DOUBLE

by Mike Chmielewski

On New Year’s Eve - beginning about 8:30 AM - those up and about in downtown Palmer may notice a procession of people carrying odd sized containers.

Is it a parade? Not exactly. With the help of many hands and feet Radio Free Palmer 89.5 will move our broadcast studio down the street from the Downtown Palmer Plaza to the Fireside Books building.

For those listening in to KVRF FM on New Year’s Eve the Big Cabbage will fall at midnight as we broadcast our countdown to the New Year. Immediately after midnight we will begin broadcasting in the New Year from the space beside Fireside Books now occupied by Circling Path T’ai Chi.

It is the right time to move - we have long needed a second studio for audio production. For the past three years, we’ve managed to both broadcast live and create pieces for later broadcast in only one studio,

but it is becoming more difficult to schedule all our broadcast activities in that one space. Since the configuration of the current site does not allow for a second studio, we have been looking for a new space in the downtown Palmer area for almost a year.

We’re more than thrilled that we’ll be on the street and are able to have two studios, one in the storefront. And you, the community member, will be able to walk by and say hello as we broadcast your stories to the world.

Gary Wolf and Associates have designed the two studios for the new site - one for broadcast, one for production. As soon as construction is complete we plan to have an open house so that everyone will have a chance to see and hear the difference.

We are thankful for all the volunteers' work and donors’ contributions. The station only exists and improves through community members’ support.

Happy New Year!

RADIO FREE PALMER 89.5 MOVIN’ DOWN THE STREETRADIO FREE PALMER MOVES NEXT TO FIRESIDE BOOKS

Pets & Animals

Contributed by Angie LewisPresident of Alaska Animal Advocates

Although Midnight has been outside for the bulk of her life of one year, she has been delighted to be inside, sleeping next to the bed of her foster mom.

Like many Huskies, Midnight is a talker, but she is as quiet as a mouse while she is next to the bed. Midnight has too high of a prey-drive, so she would do best in a home without cats. Midnight has lots of love and kisses to give to her forever family. Are you ready for the love she has to offer?

> To meet Midnight and learn more about her call Donna at Alaska Animal Advocates at 315- 5050

MEET MIDNIGHT

Contributed by Angie LewisPresident of Alaska Animal Advocates

Celebrating the holidays can be such a wonderful experience for many of us. The smells, foods, decorations and gifts make this time of year very enjoyable. Being surrounded by our pets is a true joy this time of year. However, the holiday season can be very dangerous for your pet if you are not cautious.

KEEP YOUR PETS SAFE DURING THE HOLIDAY SEASON

CONTINUES ON PAGE 18

PHOTOGRAPHY ON DISPLAY AT MYHOUSE | By Vanessa Powell - A Thousand Words Photography

Carl McDonald

ALUMINUM ART ON DISPLAY AT MYHOUSE | Created by Carl “The Tim Man” McDonald

Art CHECK OUT THE ARTWORK AND PHOTOGRAPHY AT THE GATHERING GROUNDS CAFE IN WASILLA - 300 WILLOW ST., WASILLA

PHOTOGRAPHY ON DISPLAY AT MYHOUSE | By Vanessa Powell - A Thousand Words Photography

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Vanessa Powell

CHECK OUT THE ARTWORK AND PHOTOGRAPHY AT THE GATHERING GROUNDS CAFE IN WASILLA - 300 WILLOW ST., WASILLA

No, not Alex Cross the fictional character from James Patterson novels. That’s just a coincidence. A different Alex Cross, who is 8 years old.

And our own young Alex does not like those book titles with his name in them.

“I don’t know why they do that,” he says.

I told him that was just a coincidence. He said he knows.

Normally I don’t do interviews. But this kid, Alex, was dishing out some serious wisdom, so our conversation became an interview:

Josh Fryfogle: What do you think of Special Santa?

Alex Cross: Pretty awesome.

JF: Yeah…

AC: Mmmhmm…

JF: How so?

AC: Well, helping people who don’t really have the money, to get their children gifts… that’s something good to help with. And - It helps many-a families, so… its – it’s just a good place to be. And help out.

SPECIAL SANTA Community

IS AWESOMEA HELPFUL INTERVIEW WITH ALEX CROSS, 8 YEARS OLD

JF: What do you think of Mari Jo [Parks]?

AC: Awe-some!

(Mari Jo was clear that she didn’t want a story about her, so, back to Alex…)

JF: So, how long have you been helping?

AC: Ah- About my whole life. They’ve known me since I’ve been a newborn, so…

JF: I think sometimes that helping people is the most important thing we can do.

AC: Yeah, me too.

After this, I heard Alex’s mother call him. He went to her, but careful to excuse himself from our conversation. I followed behind him, to ask his mother if she would mind letting me quote him in the next edition of the paper.

Mandy Cross told me that it was her family that was featured in the June 2014 edition of The People’s Paper. Their home burned – they lost six dogs.

There was that quiet moment of knowing between us, then Mandy thanked me several times. I just don’t know how to respond to that situation. I am in awe of how these things coincide. Here’s this kind-hearted kid, giving me a message of hope and help, and it turns out his family was helped because a local community member – K.T. McKee - decided to write about their family tragedy. There is no better use for these pages than that – than this…

I wandered around the facility, taking photos while a wave of families came in to receive help. Several rooms, for different purposes. Alex came looking for me.

AC: I didn’t know you were the man with the newspaper.

JF: Yeah, I guess I am.

AC: Thank you very much.

No, Alex, thank you very much. Thanks for helping pretty much your whole life. Thanks for your spirit. Thanks for talking with me.

> Merry Christmas!

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Please join friends, neighbors, relatives and co-workers for an EXPLOSION of fun in Wasilla as we gather to celebrate the incoming New Year.

ON THE EVENING OF DECEMBER 31ST, BEGINNING AT 8:00

PM, WE WILL HOST THE 2014-15 BP FAMILY NEW YEARS EVE

FIREWORKS SHOW.

ADVERTISEMENTS WILL BE RUN ON BOTH KMBQ AND

COUNTRY LEGENDS STATIONS TO KEEP THE COMMUNITY

INFORMED ABOUT THIS EVENT. WE OWE MANY THANKS TO

ALL THE WONDERFUL BUSINESSES WHO MAKE THIS SHOW

HAPPEN EACH YEAR.

Our major sponsors for this fun show are BP and the City of Wasilla. The producer of our annual show is Jackie Whedbee with Aurora Pyrotechnics, and a very generous donation of fireworks for our show came from Robert Hall with Gorilla Fireworks.

We will have many fun things to do prior to the beginning of the show, so you may want to show up around 7:00 pm to enjoy –

HOT CHOCOLATE

SPONSORED BY MATANUSKA ELECTRIC ASSOCIATION

LIGHT THE NIGHT

SPONSORED BY NORTHRIM BANK

SWEET TREATS

SPONSORED BY CRW ENGINEERING GROUP LLC

WARM AND TOASTY (HAND WARMERS)

SPONSORED BY REPRESENTATIVE LYNN GATTIS

If you get too chilly, stop in for a few minutes in the Warming Tent that was sponsored by the Mat-Su Health Foundation. I know everyone appreciates the staff at the Special Events for their part in setting up the huge tent and propane heater on site so that everyone has a chance to take the chill off if they need it. Hope you can join us!

C.M.A MIDNIGHT SON RIDERS Chapter 801with Denali Harley Davidson, Spenard Builders Supply of Wasilla, Three Bears grocery, Valley Performing Arts, Clear Slate Tattoo, Perfect Look Salon, AK. Comp. Dental Ctr., Garden Chiropractic, WalGreens, Image Audio, Essential One, Northrim Bank, will be putting on “The Biker Elves” CHRISTMAS TOY DRIVE for THE TOYS FOR TOTS- SPECIAL SANTA PROGRAM for all children in need in the valley.

FROM NOW TILL DEC, 23THERE ARE BINS FOR THE TOY DRIVE AT ALL OF THESE LOCATIONS ANYONE MAY DROP OFF A CLEAN NEW TOY TO THESE LOCATIONS, OR TO ANY C.M.A. MEMBER

C.M.A. MEMBERS WILL GATHER THE TOYS, AND TAKE THEM TO THE TOYS FOR TOTS- SPECIAL SANTA PROGRAM –FOR THE MAT-SU VALLEY.

SO LETS GET INTO THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT PEOPLE! BECOME ONE OF SANTA’S HELPERS- AND GIVE A CHILD IN NEED AN AWESOME CHRISTMAS TO REMEMBER!

THANK YOU FROM ALL OF C.M.A.’S MIDNIGHT SUN RIDERS CHAPTER, AND ALL THE BIKER ELVES - GOD BLESS YOU!

CommunityCELEBRATE NEW YEARS EVE IN WASILLA

BIKER ELVESDELIVER TOYS VIA MOTORCYCLE

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Pets & Animals

Let’s start with the Christmas tree. If you use a real tree, make sure the water in the stand is covered so that your pet cannot drink it. The pine sap is not safe for ingestion. Also, it is best to turn off the lights on your tree when you are not home.

Pets might chew on the cords and get electrocuted. Pets can get tangled up in the cords as well. Do not use tinsel, ribbon, or other glittery items, as these can be very enticing to pets, particularly cats. Ornament hooks can be swallowed and cause damage to intestines. Decorating the bottom part of your tree with ornaments made of wood or plastic, that won’t break, can prevent intestinal blockages.

Gifts that contain human food can present problems for your pets as well. Chocolate, raisins, onions, coffee, tea, and alcohol are delicious to us humans, but are quite dangerous for animals. Foods such as yams, sweet potatoes, and canned pumpkins (minus the spices) are safe for your pets to eat.

Although plants add to the ambiance of our holiday celebrations, there are more than 700 plants that are toxic to pets. Poinsettias and mistletoe are dangerous to animals. So, keep these plants out of reach of your four-legged companions or buy artificial. Burning candles can be a concern this time of year. Put these candles in areas that are not accessible to your pets. Do not leave the house with candles lit at any time. There are battery operated candles that can be used with safety in mind.

So, if you are feeling as though there are too many restrictions on you holiday experiences, just imagine this time of year, or any time of year, without your faithful companions at your side. This will make the decision to be safe an easy one.

Enjoy the holidays with your animal friends!

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I turn to notice that in my haste I have forgotten to shut the door on Madeline’s wire crate, her preferred den of solitude. She huddles tightly away in the back, shifting a little farther when she realizes I am coming to close the door but gives a quick lick, a sign that she is content, and settles back in after it is closed.

For six years this has been our routine, six very long years and while today feels so much like the very first day I started working with her I have to remind myself yet again that in comparison to the rescues we just received, she has come such a long way.

In 2008 (?) Madeline was live trapped in Fairbanks at a local dump site. She was born there, deprived of a human’s loving hand and lucky enough to find food each day. She knew nothing of the civilized world. When the door slammed shut on her wire trap it was no wonder she was terrified. Animal behaviorists would classify her as feral, and most shelters would consider her unadoptable, but here at the Sanctuary dogs

have no labels, no time line and everything in the world to teach us.

When I started rescuing back in 2002 I had no idea how much it would change my life and how I would never be able to walk away from those in need. No matter how many times I told myself to move on, how I tried to convince myself someone else would save them or how a lesser solution was simply ‘better this way’ there were nights I just couldn’t sleep. Their gentle eyes would not leave my mind, their uncertain futures weighed heavy on my soul. In the end I couldn’t stop... one rescue turned to two, two turned to four and when those few were adopted into their forever homes, given a chance at a new life, I brought in more to fill the void.

Years later I looked back at the work I had done, how my life had changed and how these dogs had changed me, I knew this could never end. This passion needed a name and so in 2010 the Sled Dog Sanctuary was officially born.

Giving a name to a thing tends to allow it to create a life of its own, it was so with the

A PLACE FOR HOPE

KEEPING YOUR PETS SAFE CONTINUED

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Pets & Animalsw

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Sanctuary. Little did I know that our modest life in North Pole (outside Fairbanks) was about to grow as we made our first big leap to our new location on 40 acres of land just outside of the town of Talkeetna. Our little corner of the world is every sled dog’s dream, tucked away from any major town, miles of trails at our doorstep, the quiet of winter’s stillness seeping into every thought and fiber of our beings.

The move certainly brought its challenges, a major flood, lack of snow and bouts of winter ice rain just to name a few, but as we enter into our third year we are seeing not only how the challenges have made us stronger but what we have been able to accomplish in such a short time. What was once raw land now hosts two dog yards with a total capacity to care for over forty dogs, a warm yurt, wide smooth trails, multiple play pens with acres and acres of land untouched waiting patiently for expansion.

And as the land improves so are we improving our community by not only welcoming visitors and volunteers but by taking in dogs who have no place to go just like Madeline. Each dogs situation is different, some have been neglected, starved, abused or given up for no reason at all. No matter what their past may be we are always looking to their future and finding ways on how we can place them back on their feet. Our latest group of nine dogs came in just last month and carried a mixed bag of

needs. Some were surprisingly in good weight while others were skin and bones. A few had never been socialized and it was clear from the start that some were going to have to rehabilitate longer than others before being allowed the chance of a forever home.

As I work with this group of dogs I see so much of how Madeline was when she first arrived here. So many of our rescues are scared in their new surroundings while others lean into the hugs, pets and love they receive, some for the very first time.

As they gain weight and recover, the softness I see in their eyes makes my heart melt. It is a feeling I never grow tired of and yet I wish I could explain to them that the love and admiration they suddenly feel for me may seem new and unique, but there are many people out there who would love them just as much as I. I wish I could tell them that the world, even though it may have started out cruel, is not all a bad place, but in time I know they will see this for themselves.

Hours pass, the weather warms and its time for Madeline to enjoy some outside time again. Her short coat limits the time she can spend out in the snow but I know its good for her soul to see the sun and breathe the cool outside air.

As I open the crate door she lets me clip the leash on her collar. I turn away ever so slightly, her signal to follow. She trots past me headed for

the door waiting for it to open. As we descend the stairs I marvel at how she no longer tugs frantically at the leash, how she pauses, looking gently back, making sure I am coming. By the look in her eye I can tell she is excited to be outside but there is still a side of her who longs to be in by the fire, even though close quarters still frighten her.

As I lead her over to her play area I wonder, as I do so often in the years I have worked with her, will she ever come around, will she ever become ‘unferal’? After all this time is there any real hope for her at all?

Leaning down to unclip the leash I catch her glance, the slight softness in her eyes, the feeling of trust and her ability to open up ever so slightly to the trust of another human being. It is then I realize that to Madeline she already has come so far. She may never be the casual fireside pet but who she has been able to become means so much more than fitting into a mold of what is considered normal.

Turning my attention to our newest rescues Willow catches my eye. As she huddles deep in the back of her dog house, terrified at the world around her, I reflect back to Madeline’s first days when we started getting to know each other, how she taught me the ways of patience and allowing a dog to advance on their own time, at their own pace. Madeline taught me never to be disappointed if a rehabilitation process was taking too long. In the

end it was all about patience and rich rewards of not only seeing a dog learn and grow but to learn and grow myself as I watched the healing take place in front of me.

In Willow I am already seeing an improvement in how she perceives her world. It seems her advancement will be much faster than Madeline’s, in that I cant help but feel great hope.

The Sled Dog Sanctuary exists to help dogs in need, especially those dire cases who have no other place to turn. Rescuing dogs like Madeline and Willow can be a very tough job, often a heart breaking one, but so rewarding at the same time.

As I look over our group of rescues I know some will be adopted rather quickly, while others will stay at the Sanctuary for many more months, years, or even their whole lives. Those who stay require much of our time, many of our resources and often take a strong hold of our hearts.

But it is these tough cases who define us as caregivers, build our levels of patience and teach us the fine delicate art of listening.

> If you would like to support the Sanctuary visit our website at SledDogSanctuary.com and see how you can help support dogs in need, donate your time or adopt one of these precious athletes into your heart and home.

SLED DOG SANCTUARY: A PLACE FOR HOPE CONTINUEDwww.MAKEASCENEAK.com

Written by Suzanne Bach Edwards

The Town Square Gallery, in the Carrs Mall, in Wasilla, which is entering it’s 31st year in business, has been and still is the starting ground for many of the valley’s finest artists. The Valley Fine Arts Association (VFAA) chose gallery owner, Janet St. George to jury the mixed media art show which opens with a reception on the Second Saturday Art Walk, January 10, from 1-4 p.m. at the Town Square Gallery, located at 591 E Parks Hwy, Suite #406 in Wasilla. The public are welcome to come and meet the artists, enjoy the exhibit and have refreshments.

The artists, whose works were selected for the show, span a variety of background experiences and expertise. Juror Janet St. George says, “ The show is about the best of art, but (it) is also open to all levels of abilities.” She is very adamant “about helping upcoming artist” get their start.

> Here is a look at the artists and their backgrounds:

> Martha Happs, who is serving her second term as President of VFAA, says that she grew up in the San Bernardino Mountains in Southern

California, “surrounded by sage, Ponderosa Pines and animals.” Her college career includes, attendance at Orange Coast College, Clark College, UAA and Mat-Su College. It was in college that she first studied sculpture and drawing, and now “goes to painting retreats and workshops to explore and learn.” She works in mostly watercolor and acrylics. “One of (my) acrylic techniques is with molding paste, which creates a 3D effect,” she explains. She and her husband moved to Alaska in 1978. She hopes that through her creations she can “spread the joy of Alaska and life.”

> Jim Leach, past Vice President of VFAA, is known as the retired veterinarian turned artist. He says he ”traded his scapel for brushes and canvas” and though he takes workshops on occasion, he claims to be primarily self-taught. Leach says that the name “ Trail Doc” was given to him by a staff member of the Frontiersman Newspaper in the 1970’s when Dr. Leach was writing a weekly column. He and wife Annie “flew their airplane to many bush villages to hold veterinary clinics,” according to Leach and he “raced sled dogs throughout Alaska and into Russia.” He says that he enjoys ”painting landscapes and wild life, to preserve and to share God’s beautiful creations.”

> Terry Phillips, serves as Secretary/Treasurer of VFAA, and began painting in Hawaii over thirty years ago, when she traded teaching someone a piano lesson for an art lesson. She comments that “the idea of taking a plain white canvas and creating a visual experience was absolutely thrilling.” She made many military moves with her husband Robert, and when in Cold Bay Alaska, she taught an Extension Service art class for UAA. She now travels and takes workshops, and says, “One can never stop learning and acquiring new skills.” She

enjoys painting landscapes, florals and “portraiture is fast becoming a new goal,” says Phillips.

> Maria McKiernan, who serves as Vice President of VFAA, was born and raised in Massachusetts. She says that she “has been playing with crayons, pencils, markers, paints and just about anything else that makes a mark since she was

a little girl.” According to Maria she “began a career in teaching in 1976” and her recent retirement from the Anchorage School District “has allowed her to resume many favorite pastimes including the creation of art.” She is a versatile artist who works in pencil, conte crayon, charcoal, watercolor and oil paint, doing “plein air” or working from a model, she enjoys her time at the easel. She says that when she is not at her easel, that you can find her “in her garden, kitchen, sewing room or on an airplane heading someplace exciting.”

> Judy Vars sits on the VFAA Board of Directors and is an accomplished artist. She works in encaustic wax, and says, “As with all great notions it started with a daydream; move to Alaska and settle down in a

cozy cabin, next to a lake, with my beloved other, dogs and family and create ART to my heart’s contentment. I am fortunate to have realized that dream.” Vars continues, “Because I believe art is essential and can raise the consciousness in a community….I strive to keep my heart, mind and spirit open to the possibilities.” Her work can be seen in the May 2012 Issue of Southwest Art Magazine and in the reality series “Houston Chronicles.” Vars says, “Inspiration is everywhere so I strive to keep my heart, mind and spirit open to the possibilities.”

> Patricia Jones after living in Alaska since 1976, and raising a family, she retired from her nursing career in 1991.

ArtJURIED ART SHOW TOWN SQUARE GALLERY

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The Town Square Gallery, in the Carrs Mall, in Wasilla, which is entering it’s 31st year in

business, has been and still is the starting ground for many of the valley’s finest artists.

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By Carmen Summerfield

The Great Wall of China is a series of fortifications made of stone, brick, tamped earth, and other materials, generally built along an east-to-west line across the historical northern borders of China.

These fortifications and walls were later joined together and made bigger and stronger, and are now collectively referred to as the Great Wall. The entire Wall with all of its sections and branches measures out to be more than 13,000 miles.

The Mutianyu section of the Great

Wall, located about an hour drive northeast of central Beijing, was first built in the mid-6th century as a tamped earth wall, but was upgraded during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 A.D.) to a granite fortification with 22 watch towers located about two arrow lengths, or 3000 feet, apart. That way no part of the Wall was left undefended. Between watchtowers, the width of the Wall is about 12 to 15 feet wide, wide enough for 9 soldiers abreast. Smoke signals were used between watchtowers to communicate.

During it’s long history the Wall has been constantly rebuilt and modernized.

When I visited the Great Wall of China last month, I was surprised to find out that I had several options to get to the top of the Wall—I chose to climb the 4000+ steps from the foothills to the level of the wall. Other modern options included a two-person chairlift or four-person gondola lift.

I have always dreamed of walking along the Great Wall; the views of the Wall snaking into the distance, following the ridgeline up and down, were amazing. November was a great time to visit, because the tourist season was over and I seldom encountered another person. The temperature hovered around 45, just

perfect for an Alaskan!

When I was ready to go back down, I could take those same 4000+ steps, or the chairlift, or the gondola, or… a wild, single-person wheeled toboggan descending to the valley on a winding metal track.

Of course, I chose the mile-long toboggan run! I was instructed to control the toboggan’s speed by a brake lever. But I kept the toboggan going “full speed ahead”… until I got a “red flag” from a uniformed attendant. So watch your speed when sliding down the Great Wall of China!

THE ART OF SLIDING DOWN THE GREAT WALLAdventure

When I visited the Great Wall of China last month, I was surprised to find out that I had several options to get to the top of the Wall - I chose to climb the 4000+ steps from the foothills to the level of the wall.

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SENIORSPalmer Senior Citizens Center, Inc.The primary mission of the Palmer Senior Citizens Center, Inc. is to assist individuals age sixty or older, individuals of any age with Alzheimer’s Disease or Related Disorders, individuals of any age on the Medicaid Waiver program and other eligible individuals in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough remain as independent as possible in the least restrictive environment possible and out of expensive nursing homes for as long as possible. Services include: congregate and home delivered meals, transportation, adult day services, care coordination, senior employment, family caregivers support, information / referral, chore services, senior housing, chore services, Better Choices Better Health classes, HELP program, activities and volunteer opportunities.745-5454, pscc@mtaonline.net

Alzheimer’s Resource Agency of AlaskaAs Alaska’s resource on Alzheimer’s disease, the Alzheimer’s Disease Resource Agency of Alaska (ADRAA) is committed to providing information, education and services for individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders (ADRD) and their caregivers. We have served Alaskans since 1984, and today we help more than 5,000 people annually.

As a non-profit statewide organization, we provide family consultations, care coordination, in-home services for frail elders & individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and education programs to family caregivers and health care professionals. We are your resource for information and can refer you to services in Alaska or the contiguous U.S. Sam Meneses, 746-3432, www.alzalaska.org

Valley Charities, Inc; Turn-A-Leaf Thrift StoreProvides medical equipment to all income brackets in the Valley; provides clothing and household goods to Valley residents that are economically disadvantaged.John Rozzi , 376-5740

Wasilla Area Seniors, Inc. (WASI)A Health and Wellness Campus for Seniors on the Go! The goal at WASI is to assist and refer services for Seniors 60 and older so they can live as independently as possible for as long as possible. Some of the services provided are: Meals: Family Style Meals Monday through Friday 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Center. Meals on Wheels home delivered meals.Housing:Independent Housing for low income and Aprket rate individuals. Optional Assisted Living ServicesTransportation:Partnership with MASCOT Bus $.60 per one way ride. Dr. visits by appointmentOther Activities:Cards, Wii, and Painting at the CenterBlood Pressure Checks Club50 Fitness Center, Strong Seniors Program ($5/8 weeks) Shopping Trips and other outingsValley Performing Arts Theater Visits And much more… call 376-3104 opt.2 formore information.Dennie Jaques , 376-3104 Mat-Su Area Partnership (MAP) An organization of non-profit agencies in the Mat-Su Valley. MAP holds a monthly meeting on a Thursday at the Menard Sports Complex in Wasilla.www.mapartnership.org/matsu/

Mid-Valley Seniors Inc Mid-Valley Seniors, Inc.Mid-Valley Seniors has 3 senior housing units-18 apartments and serves a congregate meal Mon-Fri at 12:00pm. Home delivered meals served

daily fresh Mon-Fri, weekend meals are frozen.

Transportation to Adult Day Services is available Mon-Fri 8:00am-3:00pmCome up to the Center for activities or lunch.Lisa Byrd, 892-6114mvscadmin@mtaonline.net

FAMILIES & CHILDRENDivorce CareDivorceCare is a weekly seminar/support group for men and women that will help you heal from the hurt of separation or divorce.  It’s a warm, caring environment led by people who understand what you are going through.  Learn practical information and gain hope for your future at DivorceCare Palmer AK. March of Dimes Alaska ChapterThe March of Dimes is inspired by all babies – those born healthy and those who need our help to survive and thrive. Working together for stronger, healthier babies, in the Valley we work directly with the Mat-Su Regional Medical Center.

We also provide clinics and organizations with resources and information. We host a March for Babies walk in the Spring and High Heels for High Hopes Runway Show in OCTust. For more information contact our office 276-4111 or email JOdgers@marchofdimes.com.

Alaska Family ServicesAlaska Family Services is a multi-dimensional non-profit that has over 20 programs serving the Mat-Su Valley. Major areas are: domestic violence, behavioral health, WIC, family support, and residential for youth with emotional issues.Donn A. Bennice, Ph.D.746-4080 - akafs.org LINKS Mat-Su Parent Resource Center. We provide support and assistance to families with disabilities. LINKS provides support and trainings, parent to parent connections to mentor, information and referral, and access to library materials. These services are provided through one-on-one assistance and individualized workshops for small or large groups. Our vision is to ensure that every parent and family who has a child with a special need has access to information, education, outreach, and support in a culturally competent environment and to empower then to be advocates for themselves, their children, and their families. Regan Building 3161 E Palmer Wasilla Hwy. Suite #2 Linda Kupers, Administrative Assistantlinda@linksprc.org - 907-373-3632

MYHouse Homeless Teen Shelter in the Matsu is a non-profit that exists to provide services to unaccompanied youth, ages 14-24, in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough. The services we provide include, but are not limited to, hot meals, shelf stable foods, gas cards, transport to shelter, clothing, tents, sleeping bags, laundry, shower, hygiene products, street outreach, access to medical, dental and mental health care, vocational services and employment opportunities, educational advocacy and life coaching. Our youth center, The Gathering Place, is located at 300 N. Willow St in central Wasilla. Also on campus is the MYHouse Café, Gathering Grounds, which exists to provide employment for homeless and at risk youth, as well as our partnering agencies and businesses, Nine Star, Mat-Su Public Health Center and Car Deets (an automotive detailing business which hires homeless youth). To learn more, visit our website at myhousematsu.org or call 373-4357.

Family Promise Mat-SuProvides a shelter for families without housing. We mobilize community resources and local congregations to provide compassionate care through shelter, meals, and case management to families without housing. Guest families are housed in area church buildings at night for a

week at a time...moving to new host church on Sundays.

Applications are available on our website.357-6160, www.familypromisematsu.org

The Children’s PlaceThe Children’s Place child advocacy center is a child-friendly, neutral facility where professionals from many agencies involved in the evaluation, investigation and treatment of child abuse meet to coordinate and bring their services to the child and their family. We provide child forensic interviews, medical exams, linkage to mental health providers, follow-up support and referrals throughout the investigation process. Referrals to The Children’s Place are made through law enforcement and Office of Children’s Services.The Children’s Place, 357-5157 www.alaskachildrensplace.com

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Alaska Strengthens our communities by providing mentors to all children who need and want a caring adult role model – special friends who can help them expand their horizons, realize their potential and enrich their futures – changing their lives.

Alaska Center for Resource Families Provides support, training and education for foster, relative and adoptive families caring for children that have been abused and neglected. ACRF also helps support the Mat-Su Grandparents Support Group in collaboration with Links and Volunteers of America. For more information about foster care and adopting children that are in the OCS child protection system visit our website www.acrf.org or call 376-4678 - bwoodin@nwresource.org

Pillows for Kids Foundation We provide little pillows of support and little scholarships for local children to participate in brain-training activities such as art, music, gymnastics, swimming, skiing, snowboarding, skating, horseback riding, and Aprtial arts.. Mentors and community members contact us when there is an identified need to keep kids, preschool through college, connected with good activities in our community. We plan to publish a book and CD/DVD of Evan’s “Little Pillow” song (copyrighted) soon. Currently, we are selling washable, decorator pillows of all shapes, sizes and colors for kids and adults as a way of creating funding for the scholarships - Valerie Koivunenpillowsforkids@gmail.com

The Moose Boosters Wrestling Club A youth development organization that provides aid and funding to low income recreational facilitates and athletes at the high school level. Funding supports athletes who participate in wrestling programs while meeting academic standards.Michelle Heun - 355-7099

Set Free AlaskaBrief description about non-profit: Our children, friends, co-workers; there is someone we know who is struggling with addiction and destructive behaviors. It is the goal of Set Free Alaska to provide excellent, individualized services to our clients. Set Free Alaska is a Christian outpatient substance abuse treatment center that uses a mind-body-spirit approach to recovery. Our programs are designed to assist people in gaining freedom from the bondage of addiction and destructive behaviors. Set Free Alaska realizes that cost can be a huge deterrent to people seeking and receiving the help they need as well as a huge relapse trigger. Our assessments are based on a sliding fee scale. It is the goal of Set Free Alaska that no person be denied the services they need due to lack of financial resources. Our offices are open Mon-Fri 10-6 and we are located on the Palmer-Wasilla Highway across from the AT&T Sports Center. Philip Licht, Executive Director 373-4732, www.setfreealaska.org/

Big Lake Community Clothing ClosetDonated by local Alaskans, Big Lake Community Clothing Closet provides quality clothing to people in need, at no charge.

Clothing and footwear for people of all ages is available. Also, assorted household items as they are available. This unique program helps people locally. Donations are accepted, to further the program. Any money donated helps pay the rent for our location at 2955 Big Lake Rd., Big Lake, Alaska.

Financial donation could also be mailed to the Big Lake Community Clothing Closet, PO Box 527069, Big Lake, AK 99652.

Open Wednesday’s from 11am-3pmAll donations of quality clothing in good condition can be donated at the above address during regular hours of operation.Check us out on Facebook

The ARTsAlaska Celtic Pipes & DrumsThose interested in lessons, or in playing pipes or drums with Alaska Celtic Pipes & Drums, please contact the Band by email at craigag@mtaonline.net or by telephone at (907) 688-4196. The band’s website can be found at http://www.alaskaceltic.org , plus, we’re on Facebook! “The Pipes, the Pipes are calling...”

Radio Free PalmerRadio Free Palmer is community radio serving the Sutton and Palmer communities as KVRF 89.5 FM and online at radiofreepalmer.org. On air since 2011, KVRF’s mission is to foster community involvement. Currently we produce great local shows on topics from health to mushing - and the list of programs is growing. Online we add important community events such as the Borough Assembly and School Board Meetings. Listen to Radio Free Palmer KVRF 89.5 for more community-centric news, music, sports, music or come volunteer to to help bring great radio programming to the valley.

745-8951, Manager@radiofreepalmer.orgRadiofreepalmer.org and on Facebook and Twitter

Valley Fine Arts Association VFAA was formed to teach techniques, and encourage fellowship among visual artists in the Matanuska-Susitna Valley. we strive to promote a supportive attitude toward visual arts in our Alaskan community.We welcome beginners, students, part-time and professional artists who focus mainly on two-dimensional art mediums and want to connect with other creative people and gain more exposure locally. Throughout the year, we inform our members about opportunities to show their work, participate in group events, view other local artists, and enroll in workshops. During the school year, we organize regular sessions for painting together and host monthly artist demonstrations.Membership in the Valley Fine Arts Association provides many diverse opportunities for artists. Check our website calendar at www.valleyfineartsassociation.orgfor upcoming events.

Mat-Su Community Chorus, Inc.As Musical Ambassadors of The Valley, The Mat-Su Community Chorus has provided quality vocal music, in its various forms, for the benefit, education and enjoyment of its members and the surrounding communities since 1970. Our membership is open to the public, inviting all who wish to add their voice in song. We offer complimentary performances at public celebrations and deliver formal concerts twice a year.We are a 501(c)3, non-profit organization, currently with twenty-two members and we are looking towards expanding the organization to better serve the community. With the support

from individuals, businesses and other civic organizations we are able to grow our group by bringing the community together through music and to continue our standard of excellence. We meet Octember through Nov. on Thursday evenings at 7-9pm in the Choir Room at Wasilla High School. Nan Potts 745-8788matsucomchours@gmail.comAlaska Celtic Pipes & Drums of Eagle RiverAlaska Celtic Pipes & Drums of Eagle River, under the leadership of Pipe Major Aja Stewart and Drum Sergeant Bryan Gonzales, are actively recruiting pipers and drummers, as well as those interested in learning Great Highland Bagpipes and Highland Drumming (snare, tenor, bass.) We would like to extend a cordial invitation to anyone who would like to learn to play bagpipes or drums, to FREE lessons with our Band. We are a grade IV competing, family-oriented pipe band established in 2005, and beginners of any age are welcome. Alaska Celtic Pipes & Drums are very active in supporting the community in which we live. Our purpose is to advance the rich cultural heritage of Great Highland Bagpipe music, and to have FUN doing it! ACPD provides free instruction in piping and drumming, with Band practice to follow, every Friday evening at 5:00 and 5:45 pm at Eagle River Presbyterian Church, 12836 Old Glenn Highway, in Eagle River.

Those interested in lessons, or in becoming members of ACPD, please contact the Band by email at Nov.gstensgericht@yahoo.com or by telephone at (907) 376-5060. The band’s website can be found at http://www.alaskaceltic.org Mat-Su Concert Band, Inc.Our mission is to promote, plan, support and conduct educational and cultural activities and opportunities for the benefit of the citizens and residents of Alaska. We do this by providing an outlet for the many talented musicians in and around our area to perform and a venue for the public to come and enjoy with us our music.Rehearsals are every Mon. from 7 to 9 p.m. at Teeland Middle School. For more information, contact Gleo Huyck at 746-0628. matsuconcertband@gmail.com

The Whirling Rainbow FoundationGrandmother Drum International Peace ProjectThe Whirling Rainbow Foundation is an international spiritual and educational non- profit organization which honors and celebrates the diverse cultural and spiritual paths of the human family. The foundation cultivates the universal teachings of inner peace, loving compassion, wisdom and understanding at the core of every culture and spiritual tradition. We are starting a Global Peace Sanctuary and Sustainable Community in Palmer.

The GrandMother Drum International Peace Project travels the world as the international voice of the Whirling Rainbow Foundation. As a symbol of the heartbeat of love that connects all nations and all races, the seven foot, crystal inlaid GrandMother Drum holds local and global events promoting peace and unity through the universal language of music, dance, cultural and healings arts.

White Eagle Medicine Woman (Suraj Holzwarth) Executive Directorwww.whirlingrainbow.com

Valley Performing ArtsWe’re celebrating over 36 years of Quality Live Theatre! VPA performs seven plays a year from Octember through Nov.. We welcome actors, volunteers, program advertisers and play sponsors to join in supporting VPA, the Valley’s oldest live theatre. The VPA Summer Theatre Arts Programs take place Nov. through Nov. and are for youth 6-11 and 12-17. The VPA Annual Meeting & Awards Ceremony is held each Nov. and Annual Fundraiser in October.

Purchase your tickets online or from our office. Check out audition dates and show times on our website.

373-0195, www.valleyperformingarts.org

To have your non-profit organization included in this free community

resource list, please email your info to:makeasceneak@mac.com

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Valley Arts AllianceThe Valley Arts Alliance is a group of like-minded individuals who have joined together to encourage, sponsor, facilitate and support artistic expression.

We are a place for both new and established artists of all types—painters, sculptors, musicians, and those involved in the performing arts—to network and to experiment with new ideas and media. We work with local libraries, schools, museums, art councils, and music and art groups to create more venues for the arts, and to help promote art related events. www.valleyartsalliance.com

ANIMALSAlaska WildBird Rehabilitation CenterThe mission of the Alaska WildBird Rehabilitation Center is to care for injured, orphaned and sick wild birds with the goal of releasing them back into the wild; and to educate the public about these birds and their habitats.

AWBRC, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, is always looking for volunteers and donations. Volunteers are always needed for care of our resident birds, office and web assistance, fundraising and advertising. We will be undergoing a building project this summer, and can use carpentry assistance or donations of materials. Please visit our web site at http://www.akwildbird.org/ for further information about us, to volunteer or

to request a live bird program.

AK Cat Kitty Rescue is a local small kitty rescue. We specialize in litters of kittens, and our facility is designed that way. We will take in litters from the community, and will assist in getting their mom cat spayed. ALL of our kittens are up to date on vaccines, and have been spayed/ or neutered prior to adoptions. We are a 501c3, so any donations are tax deductible. If you are looking to adopt, or need help placing a litter, please call us! We are currently looking for help with computer type tasks, updating website, or updating our adoptions and monthly expences. AK CAT 907-232-4444 www.akcat.org

Alaska Dog & Puppy Rescue (ADPR) Alaska Dog & Puppy Rescue is an all volunteer, non-profit organization formed for the purpose of rescuing homeless dogs and puppies. We have rescued dogs throughout Alaska, including various Bush communities. These rescued dogs are placed in foster homes, where they are socialized, vaccinated, dewormed, and taken to the vet to be microchipped and spayed or neutered. It is our goal to have an animal sanctuary, so that all adoptable dogs are given an opportunity to find their forever homes. We encourage individuals to volunteer for this very worthy cause. 745-7030 adpr03@yahoo.com

Alaska Assistance Dogs (AAD)AAD provides service dogs to Alaskans with special needs (physical, physiological & mental health), and incorporates therapeutic programs into service dog training. AAD works with special education students at school, provides teen mentoring in community training venues, offers domestic violence/PTSD support groups, FASD/Autism programs, and provides service dogs and support groups for veterans with PTSD and their families.Therapist on staff, and all trainers are certified by the founder of the service dog concept, Dr. Bonnie Bergin. Carole J. Shay, Lpc.carole@alaskaassistancedogs.org

Meadow Gates Farm SanctuaryMeadow Gates Farm Sanctuary has provided shelter and care for unwanted pet rabbits since 2001. We are a 501(c)3 non-profit charitable corporation. Rabbits are taken in when space is available. They are evaluated for behavior and personality, spayed/neutered, then adopted to new pet homes. Bunnies not able to be adopted are maintained permanently at the sanctuary.

Responsible adult volunteers are always needed. 907-357-6437, www.meadowgates.commanager@meadowgates.com

FOSTER A Homeless Dog or PuppyMake a difference. Save a life! Alaska Animal Advocates is reaching out to the community. We provide everything that is needed to meet a dog’s needs. We ask YOU to provide the love.Contact Angie at 841-3173 or email at aaarescue@yahoo.com Check out our website at www.alaskaanimaladvocates.com

VARIETY United Way of Mat-Su United Way of Mat Su was formed in 1987 to serve as a single, borough wide, fundraising agency, but we have grown to be so much more. We are dedicated to working in our community on education, stable income and health. These are the building blocks for a quality life. We provide grants to programs with these areas of focus and administer programs that improve early childhood education, reduce substance abuse and improve senior citizen nutrition. We supply Familywize prescription drug discount cards, which have saved people in the Mat-Su over $500,000 since its beginning. United Way provides information on available services through the 211 hotline and website www.alaska211.org and keep current and distribute the Mat-Sui Resource Guide. Our goal is to bring together individuals, companies and agencies to achieve measurable, positive, lasting results. We ask the community to LIVE UNITED which means all of us coming together to volunteer, advocate and give to create a brighter future for all. To find out more visit www.unitedwaymatsu.org or call 373-5807. The United Way of Matanuska Susitna Borough is physically located at 550 S Alaska Street Suite 205 Palmer, AK 99645. The Valley Quilters Guild was formed in 1985 to promote quilting in the Matanuska Valley. We currently have a membership of about 180. Our main objectives are service to our community and the education of Quilters. We serve the community by donating quilts to organizations and groups that approach us with their needs. We also give quilts to the victims of fires, child abuse, homeless families, and Law Enforcement agencies for comforting victims of domestic violence. The Guild meets the first Thursday of each month at the Palmer Train Depot at 7 p.m.

Mat Su Sertoma ClubThe Mat Su Sertoma Club focuses on hearing health. They are part of a national organization with more than 600 clubs throughout the U.S., Canada and Mexico. The club provides free hearing screens to the public the first Saturday of every month from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Wasilla Physical Therapy, 3750 E. Country Field Circle, Wasilla from September until May. During the summer we’re fishing, camping and gardening like most Alaskans!

The Mat Su Sertoma Club is the host to the Annual Mat Su Polar Plunge, the original valley dip each February. They have been responsible for providing funding to non profits in the Mat Su Borough for more than 5 years, along with scholarship funding for two students who are pursuing an education in the hearing health field.

The website is www.matsuhearing.dot to stay abreast of activities. Meetings are held the second and fourth Thursday at 5:30 p.m. at Tailgaters Restaurant in Wasilla. Mat-Su Special SantaThe Mat-Su Special Santa program is the largest Christmas gift giving program in the Valley. Mat-Su Special Santa teams with Toys for Tots, Salvation Army, Food Banks, state and local

agencies, churches and schools to help families in need. Last year over 3400 children completed a wish list with requests for Christmas presents. The program provided at least two toys/gifts, winter wear when possible, a new book, personal items and stocking stuffers. All of this is possible through the generous donations of our community with over 1000 community members, organizations, clubs and schools either volunteering or donating to the program. This is an all volunteer program. We are also in need of volunteers. The Special Santa Program’s goal is to help children receive the magic of Christmas and know that people care. In reaching this goal the program: 1. Coordinates with agencies and programs to provide for families, 2. Provides the citizens in the Community an opportunity to give, 3. Assists families in need at a stressful time of year, 4. Spreads the joy of Christmas throughout the Mat-Su Valley. Go to www.specialsanta.net for more information or e-mail us at matsu_santa@yahoo.com.

The Last Frontier Honor FlightOur mission is to transport WWII, Alaska Territorial Guard and Korean War veterans to Washington D.C. to visit those memorials dedicated to honor their service and sacrifices AT NO COST TO THE VETERANS.

All Donations are tax deductible, according to state and federal laws. You can make a donation to The Last Frontier Honor Flight PO Box 520116 Big Lake, Alaska 99652, or pay with a credit card on our website at www.tlfhonorflight.org. If you would like to volunteer you can contact our President Ron Travis at (907) 892-6097 for meeting times and places.

The Sertoma Club - WasillaWe host the Mat Su Polar Plunge raising funds for non-profits in the Matanuska Susitna Valley, Alaska. February 2011 we saw 85 jumpers raise almost $20,000 which was then given to the Food Pantry of Wasilla and Turn A Leaf Thrift Stores. The Food Pantry provides emergency food supplies to families in need. Turn A Leaf has a medical lending equipment program which is now organized with software purchased with funds received. Both were grant recipients from the Mat Su Sertoma Club. Grant applications for the 2012 Mat Su Polar Plunge are located on our website: www.matsuplunge.com. Mat-Su Community ChorusDo you love to sing? The Mat-Su Community Chorus welcomes new adult members in all vocal ranges each September and January. We are a well-established, male-female, SATB community singing group conducted by Anna Crowther. Group singing benefits your emotional and physical health and enriches our community, so bring your talents and join the Chorus! No audition required although previous experience is helpful.

We offer complimentary performances at public celebrations and deliver formal concerts several times a year. Rehearsals are on Thursdays at the WHS choir room from 7 - 9 pm. Contact us at matsucomchorus@gmail.com or call Sandy at 907-355-5836 for membership details. Like us on Facebook for concert reminders. We have a wonderful club of volunteers! On a weekly basis you’ll find a Mat Su Sertoman at the Food Pantry, Wasilla Senior Campus, Valley Charities, helping Special Olympics and the list goes on and on! Our goal for 2011/2012 year is to raise more than, $25,000 in polar plunge funds. You can pledge or sign up to jump! Just visit our website for more information.

Join us every other Thursday at 5:00pm at the Tailgaters Sports Bar and Grill. Our next meeting is Nov. 25th. We always have new speakers and a great time. See you there! Valley Residential ServicesVRS provides housing to people with special needs. We define people with special needs

as those individuals who are experiencing behavioral or developmental disabilities, low-income levels or who are seniors. VRS currently manages 198 residential units distributed in the Mat-Su Valley and participates in special programs to assist with rental assistance. We can also assist with linking individuals to social service agencies who can assist with life skills programs.(907) 357-0256, www.valleyres.orgTOPSTake off Pounds SensiblyNon-Profit Weight Loss Support GroupThree (3) Chapters meet weekly in the Valley.Kathy Miller - 376-9571 or write to matsutops@webtv.net

Valley Community for Recycling Solutions (VCRS) Our mission is to educate and provide opportunities in our community to reduce, reuse, and recycle for the long-term good of all. Our vision is to establish the Mat-Su Borough as a model recycling community for Alaska. We are open for residential recycling Tuesday thru Friday 10:30am to 6:00pm and Saturday 10:30am to 3:30pm. Businesses can call ahead for hours. Your permanent community recycling center is located in our new green building at 9465 E Chanlyut Circle, next to the animal shelter at the Central Landfill. Volunteer opportunities available. community@valleyrecycling.org valleyrecycling.org - 745-5544

Valley Residential Services (VRS) VRS provides special needs housing to individuals who experience behavioral or developmental disabilities, low-income levels or those who are homeless. VRS currently has 168 properties in the Mat-Su Valley with special programs to assist with rental assistance and we can assist with linking individuals to social service agencies who can assist with life skills programs. (907) 357-0256 , valleyres.org

Alaska Attachment & Bonding Associates (AABA) Educates and supports foster, adoptive, kinship care, step, grand and guardianship parents and professionals who care for children with emotional mental health issues, such as Attachment Disorder. AABA provides workshops, e-mail/telephone support, resource/referral information, self-advocacy, AABA web-site www.akattachment.org, RAVEN Respite, newsletters, brochures, lending library, and Mom2Mom/Dad2Dad parent support group. For more information:Laura Wagner 907-376-0366

The Homeless Actors of Mat-SuHAMS, the Homeless Actors of Mat-Su, is a valley non-profit community theater group created to further theatrical opportunities for actors and technical personnel of all ages, be experienced or beginner and the audiences who have not been fully represented in the valley. With local support we intend to produce a broad range of the atypical classical, modern, comic, dramatic and musical one act and full length plays and improvisational theater that are both educational and entertaining in the traditional and dinner theater format as fundraisers for various local causes and to continue to encourage development of the theater arts in the Mat-Su Valley. Contact Elizabeth Clausen, General Manager, 841-4119; akhams@yahoo.com

Mat-Su Food BankAt the Matsu Food Bank we provide emergency supplemental food to residents of the Matanuska Susitna Valley. The Matsu Food Bank distributes thru the Food Pantry of Wasilla directly to clients in need.

The Pantry hours of distribution are Monday through Friday from 10:00AM to 1:00PM. The Pantry is located at 501 E. Bogard Rd. in Wasilla. We have three programs operating under the

Matsu Food Bank. The community supplied Food Pantry of Wasilla accepts donations of food or funds to help feed our neighbors. We distribute to clients on an emergency monthly basis. We also distribute TEFAP (The Emergency Food Assistance Program). This is a program is supplied by the USDA and is also once a month. Our third program is Food4Kids.

We prepare and deliver, in safe community locations, nutritious meals and snacks for hungry kids 18 and under. We provide meals during the school year. We have a summer program at various locations around the Valley from Willow to Sutton and provide nutritious lunches for all kids in the valley for free.

Our website is: www.matsufoodbank.org. If you have any questions please go to the website or call us at 907-357-3769.

OUTDOORSNorth America Outdoor InstituteThe North America Outdoor Institute (NAOI) is a not-for-profit community outreach organization providing outdoor safety and environmental awareness education programs for the general public in an effort to save lives from preventable outdoor injuries and deaths. Debra McGhan, debra@naoiak.org 376-2898 , www.naoiak.org

Alaskans For Palmer Hay FlatsDedicated to conserving the natural and culturalresources of Palmer Hay Flats State GameRefuge through public awareness, year-roundrecreation and events, education and enhancement projects. Healthy, outdoorrecreation in a safe, beautiful setting is what APH helps provide to all users.

357-8711, alaskans@palmerhayflats.orgwww.palmerhayflats.org Alaska Frontier Trappers AssociationThe Alaska Frontier Trappers Association is a non-profit organization dedicated to the ethical and lawful practice of trapping Alaska’s fur bearers. We work to educate fellow trappers, children and the public in general about trapping as a necessary wildlife management and research tool.

Our monthly meetings usually include a guest speaker and/or a demonstration and fur handling information. Meetings which are held at 7 p.m. on the first Tuesday of each month at the Palmer Library. Everyone is welcome to attend. www.akfrontiertrappers.com

CONSERVATIONAlaska WildBird Rehabilitation CenterThe mission of the Alaska WildBird Rehabilitation Center is to care for injured, orphaned and sick wild birds with the goal of releasing them back into the wild; and to educate the public about these birds and their habitats.

AWBRC, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, is always looking for volunteers and donations. We are undergoing a building project this summer, and can use carpentry assistance. In addition, regular volunteers are always needed for care of our resident birds. Please visit our web site at http://www.akwildbirdrehab.org/ for further information about us, to volunteer or to request a live bird program. Wasilla Soil & Water Conservation District (WSWCD)The WSWCD is a non-profit formed in 1948 to assist landowners & land managers with conservation & development on land through technical assistance, projects & education programs & services.

distmgr@wasillaswcd.org

She delighted in the art studio of her dreams when her husband built their retirement home. For subject matter, she chooses to “cause an emotional connection” and therefore “sometimes finds it hard to part with her paintings.” Traveling to her favorite art colony, Santa Fe, New Mexico “along canyon road” multiple times, she says that is where she is “surrounded by the endless possibilities,” of creating art. She also enjoyed Florence, when traveling in Europe, and says that “David caught her eye” as she immersed herself in art history. She continues to be excited about “what” or “who” will become her next subject as she continues “in the discovery, of old and new techniques and materials.”

> Karen Crandall, a Past Vice President of VFAA, joined the

Alaska Artist Guild when she arrived in Alaska in 1973. At that time, she painted primarily acrylics on canvas or on redwood slabs. Crandall developed an art program for the Eagle River Christian Academy, while she was teaching elementary school. Crandall says she “continues her studies at UAA for a BA in Fine Arts, with emphasis in printmaking, pastel chalk, watercolors and acrylic paints, using sculpting paste for textural relief and dimension.” Among her many awards is Third Honorable Mention in the 41st Annual Alaska Watercolor Society Juried Show. Her work has been selected previously, for the UAA’s No Big Heads Show and for the Arts in the Parks Show in Anchorage.

> Romie Deschamps took his first art class in New Zealand, near Aukland, when his wife was a nurse there and he was on leave as a Pharmacist in Alaska. His teacher used Charles Reid’s book “Painting What You See” and Deschamps later met Charles Reid in 1987, when he was guest instructor for the Alaska Watercolor Society in Anchorage. After winning several prizes with his oil paintings, including an Honorable Mention at the

University of Anchorage, he said he “felt oils are where (he) should be.”

> Glenda Field, who serves on the Board of Directors, joined the VFAA after moving to the Mat-Su Valley from Fairbanks , where she lived for 35 years, and retired from her career being a speech therapist. Field has taken several of the Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival workshops, and says that she “loves doing the challenging skill of painting in watercolors.” She has “focused mostly on botanical subjects” but hopes to increase her skills in oils and acrylics. Field says, “Painting has become am important part of my life providing a creative and almost meditative escape.”

> Diane Meekin who was born in Topeka, Kansas says she “grew up in the beautiful, culturally diverse San Francisco Bay area.” She has been a Mat-Su Valley resident since 1981, where she and her husband own an air taxi service. Meekin “began painting in 2008 after taking watercolor classes locally ….(and) studying (art) at Mat-Su college.” She has completed several workshops with nationally recognized watercolor artists. Though only painting a short time, Meekin received

the First Place Award in the Juried Student Art Show at Mat Su College in 2012. She was honored with the 2014 “Best of Show” at the Alaska State Fair. “I paint with watercolor because I love the intensity, discipline, and challenge the medium requires. Above all, I enjoy the transparency of the paint and that it literally shines,” says Meekin.“ (Also) I like to create paintings that tell a story and convey a sense of a time within history.”

> Francine Long says, “As a horse-crazy child in Idaho, I drew and painted horses.” She

went on to study animal science and agribusiness, and now teaches math

in Palmer. She explains, “I decided to draw a horse one day and was amazed at how well it turned out.” She draws inspiration from her own horses as they go on pack trips in the Alaskan backcountry. To further her knowledge she takes workshops from visiting artists and for the past three years, has had one of her watercolors included in the Annual Alaska Watercolor Society Juried Art Show. In 2014, one of her art pieces was selected for the Arts in the Parks show in Anchorage. In late March 2015, she will have her first solo show at Mat-Su College. She prescribes that ”as a member of the VFAA, she appreciates the opportunity to paint portraits from live models as well as the camaraderie with fellow artists.”

> Linda Peters moved to Palmer after spending 27 years living in Nome and working as a nurse. The Nome are with tundra provided many wonderful subjects to draw and paint, and it was there that she took her first art classes. Peters continues to take classes and workshops including current classes at Mat-Su College and studying with artists in Alaska and Canada. She says she “likes painting scenes from her travels to Italy, Ireland,and England,” and gains inspiration even from “the nearest park where she walks with her Dog, in Maui.” She proclaims that “portraiture has become her latest passion, both in drawing and watercolor.” She is active in the VFAA and says that she “loves getting together and painting with other artists.”

> Jerry Edwards says that he “did lots of drawing in high school,” but there was little time for art during his career in Industrial Plumbing and Pipefitting which took him from

Moreno, California to Texas, Oregon and Alaska, including ten years working in the North Slope Borough, where he taught building management

to the natives. He has been painting in watercolor for about three years, taking classes at Mat-Su College, at the Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival, and at workshops with the Kachemak Bay Watercolor Society in Homer. He says he feels privileged “that the opportunities were there for (him) to study under three internationally known artists” in his first few years of painting since each “offered a different approach to watercolor.” Edward’s work has been exhibited statewide and won an Honorable Mention at the Juried Student Show at Mat-Su College in 2011. Edwards says he “enjoys the newness that each painting brings,” as he explores subjects from his travels, from wagons and old buildings, to roosters and kangaroos.

> Suzanne Edwards (yours truly) handles publicity for VFAA, and

began studying art through the Interior Design program at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Even though I have been in Alaska for forty-two years, art really became part ofmy life in 1990, when I decided to paint everyday for a year. My focus changed to art management with my appointment as Director of the Alaska Fine Arts Academy, followed by my position as the Fine Arts Coordinator at Mat-Su College, where I retired in 2012, after founding the Machetanz Art Festival in 2010. Last year, for Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I produced the breast cancer awareness play “ The Cost of Living Revisited.” I enjoy teaching workshops and traveling with my husband Jerry. Watercolor painting on Yupo, which is an acrylic substrate, and ink painting on rice paper ( called Sumi-e ) are my most challenging and favorite endeavors at the moment.

> The Town Square Gallery Juried Show will be as versatile as it’s artists. You can see the show from January 10 through February 6.

> For more information please call 376-0123

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Literature

Tuksook’s Story, 35,000 BC in the Winds of Change novel series is just out. That’s exciting to me, but even more than that, I had the good fortune to time travel back to the Cook Inlet area of Alaska BEFORE the Ice Age.

What do you think it looked like? I certainly had no clue, and reading geology to me is unlike the other -ologies. In a word—IMPOSSIBLE! Kris Crossen, Ph.D., Chair of Geological Sciences at UAA, rescued me. She eliminated the geologic jargon and told me in clear English what it looked like then. It was so clearly done that I could easily envision it. For an author that’s fantastic!

She also gave me a key that was staring me in the face, but I couldn’t see it. I was concerned because many scientists say that no one was in the Americas at that time, let alone Alaska. She reminded me that the ice sheet during the Ice Age lay atop Southcentral Alaska. The ice sheet was so thick it covered Mt. Susitna (the sleeping lady). The ice sheet was almost a mile thick. It would have obliterated any evidence of human occupation along with the land on

which they might have lived. She freed me to write.

The Cook Inlet at that time was not an inlet. It was a river drainage for several mountain ranges. The width of Cook Inlet as it is now wasn’t established until the end of the Ice Age. It pressed the earth down so that as the glacier retreated from the mouth of what is today’s Cook Inlet, salt water filled the space. It wasn’t until 16,000 years ago that salt water reached Kasilof and 13,000 years ago that it arrived at Anchorage.

Fascinating to me is the coal that lies under Cook Inlet enticing miners to find a good way to access it. That coal came from the forests the People in Tuksook’s Story walked through.

The animals during that time were different. Probably mammoths were here in Southcentral, possibly mastodons, along with scimitar cats and American lions. There were ancient bison and a tall animal called a stag moose that looked like a cross between a moose and an elk. Horses and camels are thought to have originated in North America, and they were present before the Ice Age. Living in ponds with modern day beavers, there were giant beavers, eight feet tall.

Instead of today’s sea life in Cook Inlet, it’s possible that the river ran with sturgeon. Caribou and Dahl sheep were present back in 35,000 BC and they managed to survive through the Ice Age.

> If you enjoy backwards time travel, meet me at Fireside Books in Palmer December 20 to take a peek at Tuksook’s Story. If you haven’t seen the series, it now consists of four books, and I’m working on the fifth.

Contributed by Bonnye Matthews

A NOVEL LOOK AT COOK INLET IN 35,000 BC

I’LL BE AT FIRESIDE BOOKS AT 10:30 AM ON DECEMBER 20TH

FOR OTHER BOOK SIGNING EVENTS, I’LL BE AT FRED MEYERS (WASILLA) JANUARY 15,

FEBRUARY 10, AND MARCH 11.

I’LL BE AT FRED MEYERS (PALMER) JANUARY 30, FEBRUARY 24, AND MARCH 25.

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